Saturday, May 28, 2011 Blackfoot "baby" ultra

Jer, Mom and I entered the 25km Blackfoot baby ultra race. The race started at 11am. Jer took off ahead of us and it was the intention that he would do it in his time and Mom and I would do it together. I was a bit concerned about keeping up with Mom because she has been training for this and I have not. We ran pretty steady the first 11km... very little walking and mostly just walking the hills. The first 11km has some hills but they are less steep. When you come around the turn at the 11km aid station you hit the horse trails, which is sandy hills - LOTS of them back to back. These hills have haunted my dreams since 2009. They felt easier this time, albeit, not "fun". After these hills though, the race got noticably harder. I found the trek between the 15km water station and the 21km aid station the hardest - both physically and psychologically. It's full of the most intense section of hills (lots of up, little down) and it's also the point where we were getting worn down. Seeing the 21km aid station was awesome and knowing there was only 4km left felt nice, although I was tired and crazy sore at this point. My left ankle had been hurting since very early on (maybe even before the 5km point if I recall) and then around 7km I started to get hot spots on my right foot so put socks on (was wearing my 5fingers). After about 13km-15km my right foot started to ache - top of the foot, particularly around the big toe joint. My hip flexors started acting up as well, first the right one, which I have had problems with in the past and then both. I just kept moving, knowing I had to stay warm to keep from seizing up. We could hear the cheering of the finish line before we could see it... then we could see the cars parked so we knew for sure it was close. We ran the last bit to the finish and it felt so good to be able to stop. We finished about 3hr50min (I don't have an official time yet) and 2 years ago we did it in around 4hr15min I believe. Jer unofficially did it around 3hr10min.

Thursday p.m.
Bench warm up was lots of band work - rotators, shoulder mobility, face pulls
Speed bench 9x3 @ 75 + bands
bench 1bd 5x5 @ 95,100,105,110,110
bench 2bd 3x5 @ 115,120,125
A1 chins 5x4 with assistance
A2 DB shoulder press 4x6 @ 20s, 20s, 22s, 25s
B1 side bends 3x12/side with cable
B2 ab wheel 3x10

Friday a.m.
Warm up: 3 rounds of: 10 box jumps, 30lb DB per hand farmers walks
A1 DLs 6s @ 135,155,175,195,215,235
A2 ankle mobility 3x8/leg
B1 OH squats 4x5 @ bar first 3 sets, then 55
B2 single leg hip thrust 3x10/leg no weight
C1 DB swings 3x15 @ 35 each set
C2 yoga plex 3x4/side

Got back in the gym last night and it was decent. A bit on the weak side, but nothing terrible.

High bar squats 6s @ 135,155,175,195 (only got 5)
Squats belt and wraps 3s @ 225,235... not feeling my best, so I didn't do 245
A1 Step ups 3x6/leg @ 20s each hand
A2 stiff leg DLs 3x8 @ 155,165,165 (was supposed to do 195... no way!)
B1 1 leg glute bridge 3x8/leg - only did 2 sets
B2 hypers 3x15
stretching

the past week

Since last blog I nailed my deadlifts, doing sets of 4 @ 235,245,255,265. It was great. My accessory work was front squats up to 125lbs, single leg hip thrusts with 20lbs, turkish get ups with 15lbs and mobility and stretching.

Friday was a decent bench day but nothing spectacular, really. Just normal work. Speed work and loads of board work. I believe I worked up to 150 or 155 for a set of 5 to a 3bd... it was not easy!

Saturday was another great day. Squats took forever, but I worked up to straps down work... did doubles @ 260,270,280 and then 285. It was great. My accessory work was the norm from the last 2 weeks... single leg romanian deadlifts, glute bridges, side bridges.

Sunday was legs up but I was starting to feel weak from being sick. I hit my numbers pretty much but not easily. Legs up to chest 6s up to 105, then 2bd 6s at 110,115,120 and then 3bd 6s @ 130,130.

Been sick since then... going to modify things this week to make sure I get 1 of each main lift in the next 3 days since I seem to be feeling more human again.

Tuesday, May 17

Warm up was shoulder mobility, pec stretch, rotators with bands, face pulls, hammer curls and front raises

CGB 3x5 @ (bar,65,85),95,95,95
A1 Incline DB press 3x12 @ 25s all sets
A2 prone row 3x12
B1 1 leg elevated push ups 3x6 per side
B2 chest supported rows 3x8 @ 80,85,85
C1 wall slides 3x8
C2 pallof presses 5 sets total

3 rounds of 4 min (8 rounds total, 1 min rest between) tabata (20/10) - jumping rope

Monday, May 16

HAM mobility 4x for warm up

high bar squats 5x5 @ 160,170,180,190,200 (knee sleeves)
A1 DB lunges 3x8 each leg @ 20s, 22s, 22s
A2 GHRs (modified) 3x6 @ 40 all sets
9 min stairmill, 6 min jump rope (20/10)

Shirted bench day

Warm ups: shoulder mobility, face pulls, rotators
Bench warm ups: 8@bar, 5@65, 3@85, 2@95, 2@105, 1@115, 1@125 to 2bd.
Shirted: 2 @ 140, 150, 160
A1 3bd 3x3 @ 135,140,145
A2 1 arm 1 leg row 3x8 per side @ 25, 30, 33
B1 Alt DB press 3x8 per side @ 22s, 25s, 28s
B2 Bent over row 3x10 @ 80 all sets
C1 anti rotation press 3x8 per side with cables
C2 rotators 3 sets internal and external

happy squat day :)

Warm ups included HAM (hip) mobility complex, the EC stretch/mobility, squat to stand.

Squats:
barx5
135x3
155x2
185x1
205x1 (belt)
225x1 (belt and wraps)
245x2 (straps down)
255x2 (straps down)
265x2 (straps down)
275x2 (straps down)

A1 single leg Rom DL 3x8 each leg @ 22s, 28s, 28s
A2 GMs 3x6 @ 105,110,115
B1 glute bridge 3x12 @ 35 all sets
B2 side bridges 3x30sec each side
C1 doorway pec stretch 3x30 sec
C2 lat stretch 3x30 sec

Friday... the 13th...

I wasn't feeling too hot by after work so I had a little nap and then still wasn't sure whether I would make it in. I decided to go and see how it felt. In the end, I felt okay... just tired. But that makes sense because I haven't been sleeping as much as I should be and the deadlifts from yesterday kicked my butt!

Warm ups were rotators, face pulls, shoulder mobility
Speed bench 9x3 @ 75+bands doubled on ends
2bd 3x5 @ 100,110,120
3bd 5s @ 125,130,130,140,145
A1 Chins 6 sets (3 reps first 3 sets, then 4 reps last 3) all with assistance
A2 scap pushups 3x12
B1 DB rows 3x10 @ 28,30,30
B2 3 point hamstring stretch 3 sets
15 min on treadmill

Wed
Warm up was shoulder mobility, rotators, face pulls with bands
CGB 7x5 @ (65,70) 75,80,85,90,95,95,90
A1 Incline DB press 3x8 @ 22s all sets
A2 fat man rows 3x12
B1 1 leg elevated push ups 3x6 per side
B2 chest supported rows 3x8 @ 80 all sets
C1 wall slides 3x10
C2 Pallof presses 3x10 each side with bands

Thurs
Warm up included various hip flexor stretches, squat to stand, some knifty stretch I learned from EC, and a new hip mobility drill I learned (HAM mobility drill).

Warm up DLs @ 135,155,175,195
Sumo DLs 6x4 (6 sets is a lot) @ 210,220,230,240,250,260
A1 single leg hip thrust 3x8 per leg @ 15lbs all sets
A2 front squats 3x5 @ 105,115,120
B1 Turkish get up 3x3 each side @ 12lbs all sets
B2 Yoga plex 3x5 per side
finished with seated 90/90 stretches, thoracic mobility stretches and quad and hip stretches

Tuesday May 10

Quick run down
High bar squats 5x5 @ 155,165,175,185,195
A1 DB lunges 3x8/leg @ 22s in each hand all sets
A2 GHRs 3x6 (modified) @ 35lbs all sets
10 min rowing 30sec row/30sec rest
10 min stairmill intervals 40sec slower/40sec faster
Heel to butt stretches 3x30sec/side
Calf stretches 3x30sec

eek! been too long

I didn't realize it's been over a week... oops!

Highlights from the past week

1) I made it in every day
2) bad spotters suck... I don't need help for every rep just because YOU think the weight is heavy
3) high bar squats 5x5 up to 190
4) deadlifts 4x4 up to 255
5) straps down squats 3x2 up to 265
6) Rest Sunday... well, not really "rest" but didn't make it to the gym
7) Bench Monday included shirt 3x2 up to 155, did 160 for 1 but didn't go for the double because the first one wasn't pretty (wasn't "hard", but wasn't pretty)

speaking out against idiocy!

http://www.oprah.com/health/Gwyneth-Paltrows-Workout-Routine

ROFL! It's actually much easier to change your body composition with weight resistance (3lbs does NOT count!) and a healthy diet... but she IS a "celebrity trainer"... right??

Oh, and as an aside... Gwyneth announced she is osteopenic (precursor to osteoporosis... this can't possibly be connected... can it? :)

Here's a much better source for this information plus a breakdown of her diet from this crack-pot trainer...
(sorry, the link doesn't want to work for me... worth the time to copy and paste though)

http://graemethomasonline.com/skinny-fat-not-just-hollywoods-problem/

Women everywhere, let's pick up 5lb weights and fling them at Tracy...

My usual Monday catch-up

Friday was great having Rhaea around to train with. She caught a lot of attention from other gym-goers (particularly other groups of powerlifters) because of how much she can deadlift... and to think, it's her weakest lift... LOL

speed bench 9x3 @ 75 plus bands
bench 5x2 @ 95,105,115,120,125 - only got 1 again... my shoulder was upset with me. Rhaea said I was bordering on touching too low, so I touched higher at 120 and 125 but my shoulder was unhappy with that. It's partly just in my head that I can't press this... I could have... no reason why not... but, when my shoulder yelps I get scared.
A1 DB bench 3x8 @ 25s, 30s, 30s
A2 pull ups 4 sets with assistance
B1 two point rows 3x10 @ 20s, 25s, 30s
B2 1 arm pec stretches 2x30 sec each side
Plus some other stretching

Saturday squats were decent... can't complain... I do like heavy weight, low reps
All my sets:
barx5
135x5
155x3
185x2
205x1 belt
225x1 belt and light wraps
245x1 belt and wraps
255x1 belt and wraps
265x1 belt and wraps
270x1 belt and wraps

speed deadlifts from deficit 20x1 @ 165
yoga plex 2 sets
A1 1 leg hip thrust 3x8 per side no weight
A2 wall march 3x6 per side
A3 barbell kneeling hip thrust 3x10 @ 95,95,95
heel to butt stretch twice each side and seated 90/90 stretch twice each side

Massage after the gym, focusing on my shoulders - especially the right one.

Sunday bench was good, despite my shoulder feeling tender from the massage. I wasn't going to push it, but in the shirt my shoulder felt good.
Warm ups and then bench @ 65x5,85x3,95x1,105x1,115(2bd)x1,125(2bd)x1,135(3bd)x1
Shirted bench
135x2 - first rep to 2bd, second rep to chest
140x2
145x2
150x2

A1 bench 3bd 3x3 @ 125,125,125
A2 1 arm 1 leg row 3x8 each side @ 25,25,30
B1 alternating DB press 3x8 each side @ 20s, 25s, 30s
B2 bent over rows 3x10 @ 70,80,80
C1 antirotational press 3x8 each side with cable
C2 rotators 5 sets